Makes sense to me. Let's say Laurensia initially proposed the pact, and was largely responsible for mediating the discussions.
From Lauensia's history, on my CS, they've been sending tradered and merchants into the wild woods for years trying to find opportunities for profit. Looks like one of them finally managed to make it back out alive, and in good enough shape to want to go back for more.
While they were involved the 'mediations' would've been a little more like:
"See this nice sharp, shiny sword? I'll give it to you if you give me some of those worthless stones your people dig up out of the ground. And if you promise not to stab me with it."
By the time Maxie became invovled there would've been a good line of communication with the tribe, from the string of merchants seeing their
competition colleagues returning with gems overflowing from their pockets and stampeding their way into the jungle to see if they could get in on the action.
When the Crown found out what was happening Vulmar would most likely have quickly prompted King Childeric to make a formal alliance with the tribe, before the Laurensi did something to soil the waters.
Well, armored knights will be more common in Vrenal I think. The steel and what not mined in the mountains near Vrenal, and enough blacksmiths with the knowledge to make fully armored knights a regular.
Not just knights. Anyone with enougth money to pay a blacksmith could get themselves a suit of armour, and if the province was always warring with the Aborim tribes that would be seen as a necessity in their lands for people wanting to get involve in the fight and make a name for themselves.
Also, not forgetting the metals provided by the Kam. The Vrenal would have a good reason to keep the trade routes open for the tribe if they made use of metals provided from them to make stronger, alloyed armours.
